BBC - Schools - Famous People


	Elizabeth Fry's Story Elizabeth Gurney was born into a rich Quaker family in 1780. She used her wealth for the good of others, setting up a school for poor children in her home town of Norwich when she was only seventeen. She became famous throughout Europe for her work helping prison inmates. 1800 Elizabeth married Joseph Fry, a wealthy Quaker merchant. Joseph supported Elizabeth's good works, though she still found time to have eleven children. 1813 Elizabeth was inspired by a touring American preacher Stephen Grellet. He encouraged her to visit Newgate Prison where she found 300 women and their children crowded into two small wards. Most were poorly clothed, hungry, dirty and lacked bedding. Elizabeth paid for new clothes and clean straw for them to sleep on. 1817 Elizabeth set up a group of women volunteers to improve conditions at Newgate. Her association set up a prison school for the children as well as providing materials so that the women prisoners could work and earn a small living. While the women sewed and knitted, Elizabeth read out cheering passages from the Bible. Elizabeth also successfully campaigned for a special Matron to be put in charge of the women inmates. 1818 Elizabeth became the first woman to give evidence to Parliament. Two years later she met with Sir Robert Peel the Home Secretary. Many of her ideas went into the 1823 Gaols Act which improved conditions in British prisons. Elizabeth began to tour Britain and Ireland. Her plan was to visit prisons in as many towns as she could and to write a book about the horrible conditions that she found there. She ended up writing several books which stirred up a feeling of public outrage about the ways in which prisoners were treated. 1824 Elizabeth went on a holiday to Brighton and was shocked by the number of beggars there. She set up a team of voluntary visitors who went into the homes of poor people and tried to provide practical help and comfort. Her scheme was successful and was copied throughout the country. 1830 Elizabeth visited female prisoners who were waiting to be transported to the prison colony of Australia. She gave them gifts of useful things such as sewing bags, cutlery, scissors, combs and a Bible. 1840 Elizabeth set up a training school for nurses at Guy's Hospital in London. 1845 After several busy years travelling around Europe and spreading her ideas, Elizabeth died at Ramsgate in October.